Automatic train-stopping mechanism.



F. D. BIGHAM.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 91 1915.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

1 Inventor 7M 'ma cuLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH 4x3., wAsHlNuTuN, D. c.

FREDERICK D. BIGHAM, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-ST'OPIING- MEQHANISM.

ASpecification of Letters Patent.

yPatented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed February 9, 1915. SerialNa 7,158.

To all Lo/wm t may concer-n Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. BIGHAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore. in the State of Maryland,

have made certain new and useful Improve-- ments in Automatic Train-Stopping Mechanism, of which the following isv a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in train stopping mechanism for railway safety systems, and consists in the constructions, combinations, and arrangements herein shown, described and claimed.

An object of my invention is toprovide means by which the air pressure from the main reservoir may be caused to automatically close the throttle and vsubsequently open the train line pipe to the atmosphere, so as to shut off the .steam and set the .air brakes and yso stop the train.

A further object ofY my invention is, to provide means whereby thenumber of times the throttle is closed by the l:air pressure .is registered.

A further object of my invention is to al-l low the throttle `to be closed manually without causing the air brakes to be applied or the operation registered. Y y

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specifications and the novel features of the device will -be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming ,part of this application in which,-l

Figure 1 is a top view of the .throttle lever, certain other parts being shown in section and Fig. 2 is a section through the controlling means for the escape of `the air from the train line pipe.

The apparatus herein vdescribed .is de signed to be used in vva safety system in which means is brought .into play for admitting the air pressure from the trainair reservoir (not shown) to the apparatus `which forms the subject of this application, as the .train passes over a given point. The particular means by which this .is done forms no part of the present invention, since itis ,obvious that the throttle closing mechanism and the means for operating the escape valve on the train line pipe might be operated by any mechanism. for turning on the air.

In carrying out my invention I provide a pipe A1 leading from the `source of com-v pressed air and controlled byfany suitable means for admitting therair pressure from the air reservoir. The pipe A1 is connected at the other end to a cylinder A2 in which is a piston A3. The opposite end of the cylinder A1 is open and is provided with a shoulder B1. The cylinder A1 is secured to a frame F which in turn is secured to any suitable part of the locomotive such as the boiler front B3 by means of the brackets A4 and C1. Pivotally secured to the frame F by means of the pivot pin B2 is the throttle lever L. This lever is provided with a slot C2 through the body portion of which the pin C3 extends which connects the throttle lever with the throttle valve stem B4.

One end of the vthrottle lever Lis provided .with va. `handle Ds having an unlocking member D7 which is connected to a spring-actuated lockingpdevice G1 arranged to engage a locking segment D1 carried by the frame F. Thelocking member G1 is provided with guide pins DG arranged to move kin a slotG3 in the throttle lever L. A plate G2 is carried by the pins D6 and is provided with` a rounded end.

The throttle lever L is provided with an extension E5 so that the lever L and the extension E5 form in fact a bell-crank lever arrangement. The extension E5 is provided with a pin E6 the body portion of which passes through the slot E4 in the plate E3 which lis pivotally connected by a rod E2 to the piston A3. The plate E3 is pivotally connected at E7 to a bar Es having a slot D2 through which the body portion of the pin D3 carriedby the lever L extends. The end D1 of the bar E8 is arranged to engage the end D5 of the plate G2 as will be hereinafter explained. A spring C5 is secured to the throttle lever L and to the bar ES.

Connected to the cylinder A2 is a pipe E1 which communicates with a cylinder H7 which is secured to any suitable part of the locomotive, preferably out of reach of the engineer. The cylinder H7 has placed therein apiston H9. Disposed in alinement with the cylinder H7 is a second cylinder or chamber J 2 which is connected by means of the pipe J 4 to themain train pipe (not shown). A valve J 5 is disposed within the cylinder J 2 and controls the air passage J 6. The opposite end of the .air passage J 6 is closed by a valve K1 which together with the spring K3, the screw K5, the casing K1, the stem K and the vent K? form infact an adjustable spring Asafety .por relief valve. The .valve J ,5

is carried by the stem J1 which extends through the cylinders J 2 and H7, and which is secured to the piston H9 in the cylinder H7. Gn the opposite side of the piston H3 is secured a stem H5 which'eXtends through the plug H'G of the cylinder H7. Pivotally secured at H4 is a lever H3 one endof which is disposed in the path ofthe stem 'H3 the other end of the lever H3 is arranged to engage the operating stem of theregistering deviceH2. Within the cylinder' J 2 is a stop J3 disposed in the path of'the'valve J 5.

From the-foregoing description of the de-Y vice the operation is easily understood and is as follows: Asheretofore stated the air pressureis admitted through the pipe A1 by an emergency apparatus carried by the train (not shown). The pipe A1 beingsmall in size offers resistance to the passage of the air and soprevents the lever L from slam#v gagement with the teeth of the locking seg! ment-D1. Furthermovement of the piston A3 will now bring the end of the slot E'1 into engagement with the pinEG, and this will swing the throttle lever L about on its pivot B2 thereby moving the throttle valve stem B4 so as 'toshut the throttle valve and close ofi" the steam. `When the `piston-A3. reaches `the en d of its stroke it is Vstopped by the' shoulder B1 inr the cylinder A2. Thisprevents undue strain from being placed on the weaker parts of the device, and an adjustment is provided at C1 to adjust the proper tension on the closed throttle 'valve when the piston A3 is held firmly against the shoulder B1. As soon as the piston A3 is forced by the air past the pipe E1 air is admitted through' the latterlinto the cylinder H7 thereby causing the piston H3 to be forced to the left in Fig.l 2 against the tension of the spring H3. The stem H5 engages' the lever H3and this registers the fact that the throttle lever L has been automatically Vmoved into its closed position by air-oming through the pipe A1. The movement of the piston Hg'also movesthe rod J1 which causes the valveVV J3 to leave itsseat and move to the left'iniFig. 1 back against the stop J3 thereby permitting the air in the train pipe Jto escapethrough the passage J3 thus set-y ting the air brakes. The air passing through the passage vJ3 raises the valve K1 from its seat until thedesired reduction of pressure hastakenv place in the train pipeJ 1' then the pivotally secured to said .l Spring K3 causes the valve K1to close, and

so controls the strength with which the air brakes are applied. It will be seen that the e throttleleverL may be used in the ordinary way manually, and placed in any desired position by the engineer. The piston A3 will then play idly in the cylinder A2 while the spring H8 together with the pressure on the valve J 5 holds the latterin its closed position, thereby preventing the escape of air from the" train pipe J 4. `The springA C5 at the'same time-holding the bar E8 from interfering with lthe looking arrangement.

Therefore it is quite obvious that the throttle lever L may be used in the ordinary way manually without causing the air brakes to be applied, or registering the operation. But when the throttle is closed automati cally it registers the factand causes the air brakes to be applied at any desired strength, so stopping the train.

l claiml. In a train stopping mechanismya cylinder, apiston therein, connections between said cylinder anda source of `compressed pivotallyY a locking segmentl a yspringactuated Y air, a frame, a ythrottleylever mountedon ,Y said Vframe, carried by said frame, lockingV member vcarried by said vthrottle lever and arranged to engage said locking segment, means connected to said piston forV disengag'ing said locking vmember 'from said lockingsegment and for subsequently moving said throttle' lever into' its closed posii' tion, a vrod pivotallyV secured to said piston and having an integral'slotted plate, a guide pin secured to a portion of said throttle lever and arranged to enter the slot in said slotted plate, a slotted V bar pivotally securedtosa-id slottedrplateand arranged to engage the locking member carried by said throttle said last mentioned means 'comprising lever, guide'means carried by said rthrottle leveandarranged to jextend through the i slot in Ysaid slotted bar.y

2. In a train stopping mechanism, Va .Cylinder, a pistontherein', connections between said cylinder anda source of compressed air, a frame'L a throttle lever pivotally mountedv on said frame, aV lock-ing segment carried by said frame, la spring actuated locking mein-` ber carriedby'said throttlelever and arranged toengage' said locking segment, means connected tofsaid piston for Ydisengaging said locking member from said lock-v ing segmentv and for subsequently'moving said throttle leverr'intoV its closed position,

said lastlmentioned means comprising a rod piston and having an integral slotted plate, a :guide pinsecured to aportionof said throttle lever `and arranged to enter the slot in Vsaid slotted plate, a slotted bar pivotally secured to said slotted 'plate and 'arranged to engage said` Y locking member: carried by said throttle disengaging said locking member fr0-m lever, guide means carried by said throttle lever and arranged to extend through the slot in said slotted bar, and a spring connecting said slotted bar with said throttle lever. f

3. In a train stopping mechanism, a cylinder, a piston therein, connections between said cylinder and a source of compressed air, a frame, a throttle lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a locking segment carried by said frame, a spring actuated locking member carried by said throttle lever and arranged to engage said locking segment, means connected to said piston o sai locking segment and for subsequently moving said throttle lever into its closed position, said last mentioned means comprising a rod pivotally secured to said piston and having an integral slotted plate, a guide pin secured to a portion of said throttle lever and arranged to enter the slot in said slotted plate, a slotted bar pivotally secured to said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the slotted plate and arranged to engage said locking member carried by said throttle lever, guide means carried by said throttle lever and arranged to enter the slot in said slotted bar, and a spring connecting said slotted bar With said throttle lever, and means for subsequently causing the air brakes to be applied, said last mentioned means comprising a pipe connecting said cylinder With a second cylinder, said second cylinder having a piston therein, a piston rod connected at one end to the piston in second mentioned cylinder, the other end of said piston rod connected to a valve placed in an air tight valve chamber, Said valve controlling a vent passage from the main train pipe to the atmosphere and acting independently of the engineers valve for applying the air brakes.

FREDERICK D. BIGHAM. Witnesses:

L. Gr. BECHTOL, ANNA J. COLEMAN.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

